1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of recharging depleted or exhausted or dead or depressurized tennis balls. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to an apparatus and method for recharging depleted or exhausted or dead or depressurized tennis balls to restore the liveliness and optimum configuration of the individual balls. Known art may be found in U.S. Class 206, subclass 213.1 as well as in other classes and subclasses.
2. Description of the Known Art
Many games use a gas pressurized hollow ball during play (i.e. football, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.). In the game of tennis, the ball is spherical and of a standard diameter and it is covered with a fibrous nap. Important parameters of the tennis ball are its bounce or liveliness or resiliency and this is a function of the ball's internal gas pressure, its size and spherical configuration and the condition of the fibrous nap. All of these parameters should be maintained constant and uniform from ball to ball and during the useful life of the ball. Since the reaction of the ball to the impact of the racket and its ground rebound characteristics are functions of the above parameters, any significant change or variation thereof adversely affects the proper playing of the game.
As is well known, the resiliency exhibited by tennis balls is due, at least in part, to the pressurization of the tennis balls during manufacturing. To be suitable for tournament play, tennis balls must be able to meet quite rigid specifications regarding their size, the distance to which they rebound when dropped from a standard height, the amount of deformation they exhibit under an applied standard force, and their surface characteristics. All manufacturers strive to comply with these rigid specifications to insure that the balls they manufacture exhibit the uniformity demanded by serious amateur as well as professional tennis competitors.
Tennis balls are generally packaged and marketed in pressurized hermetically sealed containers so as to minimize or prevent any diffusion outwardly of the pressurized gas in the ball which would reduce its liveliness and so as to obviate any distortion of the ball from its standard size or shape as a consequence of the ball's high internal pressure. A basic problem with tennis balls presently in use is that, as the balls age, they lose pressure. This pressure loss results from the diffusion through the tennis ball surface of whatever gas may be used to inflate tennis balls during manufacture. Partially to combat this loss of pressure, tennis balls have, for some time, been marketed in pressurized canisters, generally three tennis balls to a canister. Of course, once the canister in which the tennis balls have been sold is opened, the tennis balls are removed from their pressurized environment and, as a result of the pressure differential across their surfaces, they begin to be deflated and the distortion of the ball commences so that the ball is thereafter of limited useful life in the proper playing of tennis.
As stated previously, with usage and/or the passage of time, the internal pressurization of tennis balls eventually escapes until the internal pressure of the tennis balls drops to atmospheric pressure. At that time, the unpressurized and depleted tennis balls are considered to be dead or flat even though the tennis balls may otherwise be acceptable. Depleted tennis balls are typically discarded. While many of the tennis balls may be retired because their surfaces have become worn beyond acceptable limits, many more tennis balls are retired simply because they have lost their pressurization. Discarding depleted but otherwise acceptable tennis balls can be extremely wasteful, particularly at large clubs such as tennis clubs and country clubs where the quantity of depleted tennis balls can be high.
Others have proposed solutions to deal with depleted tennis balls, including recharging and/or recycling apparatus and methods. Patents disclosing information relevant to tennis ball pressurization include U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,117 issued to Rudy on Nov. 7, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 1,207,813 issued to Stockton on Dec. 12, 1916; U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,629 issued to Dubner et al. on Apr. 26, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,948 issued to Won on May 3, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,491 issued to Roeder on Sep. 6, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,120 issued to Berggren on Feb. 14, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,743 issued to Hoopes on May 2, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,029 issued to Feinberg et al. on Jul. 18, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,247 issued to Feinberg et al. on Jul. 17, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,770 issued to Goldman et al. on Aug. 28, 1979; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,095 issued to De Satnick on Feb. 8, 1983. Each of these patents are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,117 issued to Rudy on Nov. 7, 1978, entitled Apparatus For Repressuring Tennis and Similar Play Balls shows a portable device similar to the container most tennis balls are originally packaged in for storage. The patent discusses a system for repressuring a tennis ball or similar play ball, which has lost a portion of its initial inflation pressure, in which a container or enclosure for the ball contains a chemical and a suitable fluid that reacts with the chemical to generate a gas at atmospheric pressure capable of diffusing through the permeable elastomeric material of the ball to elevate the total pressure within the ball toward its initial pressure value. This device uses solid pellets that mix with a liquid in the container to generate the repressurizing gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,207,813 issued to Stockton on Dec. 12, 1916, entitled Method for Preserving Tennis Balls or Other Objects Containing Fluid Under Pressure shows a container for a ball. The patent discusses a method for preserving tennis balls or other objects containing fluid under pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,629 issued to Dubner et al. on Apr. 26, 1977, entitled Pressurized Tennis Ball Container shows another portable device similar to the container most tennis balls are originally packaged in for storage. This patent discusses a pressurized tennis ball container has a cover which fits onto a standard metal tennis ball can. The cover includes a hand pump having a sliding seal which opens to permit rapid refilling of the hand pump cylinder with air during the upstroke of the piston, an air pressure indicator, which indicates the pressure within the can, a pressure release member to release the air pressure within the can to facilitate opening the cover, and an improved diaphragm valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,948 issued to Won on May 3, 1977, entitled Tennis Ball Storage Container shows another portable device similar to the container most tennis balls are originally packaged in for storage. This patent discusses a tennis ball storage container of the type wherein the balls located inside the container are maintained in a compressed air surrounding in order to prevent microscopic penetration of compressed air from inside the ball during the storage. The container comprises a cylindric storage container and a cylindric lid arranged to place over the container to close same. Sealing means are arranged on the container and on the lid which are effective to maintain a generally air tight sealing engagement between the container and the lid during the operation of placing the lid over said container. The sealing means prevents air present in the space defined by the container and the lid as the lid is being placed over the container. The sealing means prevents air present in the space defined by the container and the lid as the lid is being placed over the container. The volume defined by the inside of the lid amounts to at least two thirds of the volume defined by the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,247 issued to Feinberg et al. on Jul. 17, 1979, entitled Method of and Means for Preserving Tennis Balls or the Like shows another portable device similar to the container most tennis balls are originally packaged in for storage. This patent discusses a gas pressurized ball is packaged under pressure by first compressing the ball about its girth and then compressing it about its full surface in the smaller spherical cavity of a mold section. A device for compressing the ball includes a collar member of smaller diameter than the ball and a pair of spherically faced cavitied mold members which are assembled with the collar to form a spherical closure chamber. The mold members may include lips which enter the collar opening or may, with the collar face, form the closure chamber. The collar and a spherically faced cavitied mold member, in one form, are integrally formed and a ball injection plunger registers with a bore in the mold member. Another device includes three mutually hinged members each having a cavity so that when the members are swung to a closed condition the cavities form a spherical chamber smaller than the ball. Another form of the device includes a cylindrical receptacle closed by an elastomeric cap provided with an inflation valve and locking collar to permit pressurizing of the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,120 issued to Berggren on Feb. 14, 1978, entitled Apparatus for Repressurizing Tennis Balls shows a needle-like device that penetrates the ball to be repressurized. This patent discusses a method and apparatus for repressurizing tennis balls or other balls not being normally provided with an air fill valve and for internally sealing the same after repressurizing, which includes: a needle-like element for penetrating the skin of the ball and having a passage therethrough for the passing of a sealing medium and air into the ball, compressing the ball to create a negative pressure therein, a sealant containing member which is penetrable by the extending end of the needle element for drawing the sealant into the ball when the compressive force is released and a source of positive pressure which is attachable to the extending end of the needle element for pressure application to the interior of the ball. The sealant is in flowable condition for a period and will flow about the internal end of the needle to form a supply about the aperture formed by the needle such that when the same is withdrawn, the sealant will flow in and over the aperture to seal the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,743 issued to Hoopes on May 2, 1978, entitled Tennis Ball Revitalizer shows another needle-like device for repressurizing a tennis ball. This patent is directed to a simple, easily-operated device is provided by which a “dead” tennis ball can be revitalized by injecting it with a gas, preferably in the form of an aerosol propellant. The device described comprises an aerosol container suitably charged and connected to a tubular needle and also a ball-receiving cup. Pressure from the propellant restores original bouncing quality to the ball. A sealant can be mixed with the propellant or gas if desired or necessary. Proper selection of propellant and sealant mixture automatically meters the amount of sealant moving into the ball. Safety features of the device protect the needle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,770 issued to Goldman et al. on Aug. 28, 1979, entitled Apparatus to Rejuvenate Tennis Balls shows another needle-like device for repressurizing a tennis ball. This patent discusses an inflation device for tennis balls and the like wherein a pressure vessel having a resiliently closed discharge valve is provided with an operator fitting on the valve and a hollow impaling element on the operator fitting for passing fluid from the vessel, and an outwardly facing ball seat operatively connected to the fitting for actuating the latter upon depression by a ball on the seat, which ball is simultaneously penetrated by the impaling element for receiving pressurized fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,095 issued to De Satnick on Feb. 8, 1983, entitled Tennis Ball Pressurizer shows another needle-like device for repressurizing a tennis ball. This patent discusses a tennis ball pressurizer having a source of pressurized gas, a regulating valve for controllably releasing the gas and a hollow needle for injecting the gas into the ball. The needle has an internal bevel at one end which cuts a plug from the wall of the ball. The plug seats into the needle and is partially exposed beyond the end of the needle. Gas is released from the pressure source and passes through the needle to enter into the ball through a side vent in the needle. As the needle is withdrawn from the ball after it is repressurized, the plug engages in and seals the puncture hole.
Many of the preceding devices are either complex and inconvenient to employ or they have been unsatisfactory in that they tended to damage the surface of the ball, thereby adversely affecting the ball's playing properties and otherwise left much to be desired.
Another significant drawback of the prior art is that such prior art contemplates pressurization of a very small number of tennis balls, typically, three tennis balls in a container of a configuration similar to the containers in which tennis balls are marketed.
The increasing popularity of tennis and the resultant growth in the offering of group tennis lessons, as well as the burgeoning tennis club industry, have resulted in the use of far more tennis balls than such prior art apparatus can economically preserve. For example, it is not uncommon for a tennis club in a large metropolitan area to use 10,000 or more tennis balls in a year. To address the large quantities of balls, some have proposed “batch” systems. “Batch” processing of tennis balls can be a real and immediate solution that may result in significant economy, particularly for users of large numbers of tennis balls. As used by many, batch processing refers to the processing of, for example, 200 or more tennis balls at one time.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,029 issued to Feinberg et al. on Jul. 18, 1978, entitled Tennis Ball Rejuvenator and Maintainer shows pressure vessel for batch processing tennis balls. This patent discusses a pressure vessel for storing tennis balls includes a cylindrical open topped receptacle having in its inside upper border a peripheral groove separably engaging an elastomeric O-ring gasket provided with a finger removal tab. A vertical coaxial post is anchored to the receptacle base and axially movably supports for movement between limited raised and depressed positions a coupling member which is spring urged to raised position and releasably locked in its depressed position. A dished cover is coaxially separably connected to the coupling member and has an outwardly downwardly inclined peripheral lip engaging the O-ring when the cover is in raised position to effect an air tight seal. Mounted on the receptacle peripheral wall and communicating with the interior thereof are a pressure gauge, a pressure release and safety valve and a pressurizing check valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,491 issued to Roeder on Sep. 6, 1977, entitled Tennis Ball Preserver shows a large container for batch processing tennis balls. This patent is directed to an apparatus for batch processing tennis balls for preserving their internal pressurization. The apparatus includes a high pressure reservoir and a lower pressure storage chamber integrally and unitarily housed within a single tank and separated by a bulkhead. An air compressor is connected to the high pressure reservoir and is controlled by a gauge apparatus to maintain a desired high pressure within the reservoir. The reservoir and storage chamber are connected together by a conduit which includes a low pressure regulator to maintain a desired pressure in the storage chamber. A passageway with an air-tight, removable lid provides access to the interior of the low pressure chamber for loading and unloading the tennis balls. The apparatus may also be used to repressurize tennis balls which have lost some of their inflation with compressed air.
The known art fails to address many perceived shortcomings in the industry. For example, a desirable improvement in the art would be the introduction of a system adapted to quickly recharge depleted tennis balls economically and efficiently while also providing the ability to store tennis balls indefinitely.
Thus, it may be seen that these prior art patents are very limited in their teaching and utilization, and an improved method and apparatus for effectively recharging tennis balls and particularly large quantities of tennis balls quickly is needed to overcome these limitations. What is needed then is an improved apparatus and method for quickly recharging large quantities of depleted tennis balls in an efficient and economical manner.